The Wiltshire Moonrakers

“The Wiltshire Moonrakers”

by Edward Slow
from Wiltshire Rhymes and Tales
in the
Wiltshire Dialect
published 1894

Down Vizes way zom years agoo,
When smuggal’n wur nuthen new,
An people wurden nar bit shy,
Of who they did their sperrits buy.
In a village liv’d a Publican,
Whi kept an Inn, The Pelican,
A man he wur, a man a merrit
An his neam wur Ikey Perritt.
Ael roun about tha country voke
Tha praise of thease yer landlard spoke;
Var wen any on’em wur took bad,
They knaw’d wur sperrits could be had;
An daly it wur nice an handy,
At tha Pelican to get yer Brandy.
Twer zwold as chep as tis in Vrance,
Tho a course, twer done in iggerance.

Bit he tha tale did zoon let out
To ael the countery roun about;
An to thease day, people da teeze,
All Wilsheer voke about tha cheese.
Bit tis thay as can avourd ta grin,
To zee ow nice a wur took in.
Zoo wen out thease county you da goo,
An voke da poke ther vun at you;
An caal ee a girt Wilsheer coon,
As went a reakun var tha moon.
Jist menshin thease yer leetle stowry,
And then bust out in ael yer glowry,
That yer smeart Excisemin vresh vrum town,
Wur took in wie a Wilsheer clown.
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